Bulgaria Custom Tour Packages

Bulgarian summers are fairly warm and sunny, with highs generally in the upper 80s in Plovdiv, and low 80s in Sofia and along the coast (Sofia’s elevation and the coast’s breezes help keep things cool). Winters are cold and generally snowy. Spring and fall often mean large temperature shifts, with fall being drier. Thunderstorms are fairly common in late spring and early summer. We tend to recommend visiting from late April to mid-June, or from early September to mid-October.

Bulgaria is generally safe, but exercise caution when crossing the street, and check cab prices before entering. Violent crime is rare, but beware of pickpockets on public transportation. Car theft is relatively common, so do not leave anything valuable in a rental car, and if possible, park in a garage or hotel parking area, instead of on the street.

Although many businesses in city centers take cards, Bulgaria is still primarily a cash economy, so we recommend having cash on hand, especially if going to a restaurant. It’s best to get local money at an ATM, so ask your hotel staff for a nearby ATM that is safe and doesn’t charge unreasonable fees.

Bulgarian cuisine is diverse, with Balkan, Persian, Turkish, and Greek influences. Bulgarians are fond of dairy, especially yogurt and cheese similar to feta. The country is famous for its heaping salads, especially Shopska salad, which combines tomatoes, diced and salted vegetables, vinegar and sunflower oil dressing, and plenty of salty cheese akin to feta. Bulgarians are creative with their vegetables, especially when it comes to stuffed cabbage or grape leaves, or cold cucumber soup. Grilled meat is popular, as is lamb roasted on a spit.

Bulgaria has diverse, excellent wines. Many villages have communal grape vines, which can run for blocks at a time. Rakia (fruit brandy) is also common. Often homemade, different regions are known for using different fruits, with the Valley of the Roses naturally distilling unique rose Rakia. The tap water is generally drinkable in cities.

As drivers charge low rates, we recommend the private transfers we offer, which can include stops along the way. Bulgarians tend to travel by bus, although online timetables are often out of date, ticket agents and bus drivers rarely speak languages other than Bulgarian or Russian, and signs are almost always only written in Cyrillic. There are some modern trains, but generally trains are old and in poor shape, especially in terms of toilets. Road signs are almost exclusively written in Cyrillic, roads can be in bad shape, and there are problems with car theft, so we recommend against a rental car.